Adjustable sump pump

ABSTRACT

Vertical sump pump having a pumping chamber and impeller positioned within the sump having rotary elements that are easily removed from the sump without removing the remainder of the pump and in which clearance between the impeller and both the top and bottom of the pumping chamber are easily adjustable.

. United States Patent Emeny *July 29, 1975 ADJUSTABLE SUMP PUMP 1,745,547 2/1930 Layne 417/359 2,504,140 4/1950 M111 417/424 [76] Inventor: Gemge Emen1 575 Hghland 2,515,538 7/1950 Wall 417/424 Ave-i Salem, 44460 2,625,110 1/1953 Haentjens et a1. 417/424 1 1 Notice: The portion of the term of this 23: patent 8 to 1991 3,3241798 6/1967 Freed et al 417/359 has been dsclalmed- 3,737,255 6/1973 Emeny 417 424 22 Filed: 9 1973 3,764,237 /1973 Emeny 417/424 N 404, [211 0 786 Primary ExamtnerC. J. Husar Related US. Application Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Webb, Burden, Robinson & [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 248,819, May 1, Webb 1972, Pat. No. 3,764,237, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 213,348, Jan. 17, 1972, Pat. No. 3,737,255. [57] ABSTRACT [52] U S Cl 8 417/359, 417/424 Vertical sump pump having a pumping chamber and [51] 2 F04B /04 impeller positioned within the sump having rotary ele- [58] Fielld 359 361 ments that are easily removed from the sump without removing the remainder of the pump and in which [56] References Cited clearance between the impeller and both the top and UNITED STATES PATENTS bottom of the pumping chamber are easily adjustable.

1,725,401 8/1929 Layne 417/359 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 92 ear I 84 '0 I00 72 wk 71 7a 2 A I 48 (5 m 5 I 7 B 64 I 46 5* ADJUSTABLE SUMP PUMP This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 248,819 filed May 1, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,237 entitled Adjustable Sump Pump,

which was a continuation-impart of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 218,348 filed Jan. 17, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,255, entitled Vertical Sump Pump.

Vertical sump or pit pumps include a variety of pumps for removing liquids from sumps or pits extending downwardly from the floor level. The sumps are substantially emptied to their lower liquid level and allowed to fill to an upper liquid level before the pump is actuated to empty the sump again. To maintain the pumps prime, an impeller and centrifugal pumping chamber (pump casing) are often maintained below the lowest controlled liquid level in the sump.

In applicants experience, different pumping conditions require differently sized impellers. This, of course, requires adjustability of the pumping chamber, a form of which was disclosed in application Ser. No. 248,819, filed May 1, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,237.

Since many pits and sumps are located in buildings where there is only a limited amount of head space above the floor level, it is also extremely desirable that the pumps be capable of installation by means of easy elemental assembly on the site.

It is an advantage of this invention to provide a sump pump in which the clearances between the top and bottom of the impeller and the (corresponding surfaces of) pumping chamber are independently more adjustable than set forth in my prior application.

It is a further advantage of this invention to provide a pump which greatly reduces maintenance costs. It is yet another advantage that the overhung shaft and impeller assembly and the suction tube assembly may be withdrawn from the pump support structure without disturbing the discharge pipe or other elements below the top support plate or flange. It is yet another advantage that the support structure may be easily fabricated from flat plate and standard pipe eliminating the need for costly castings using few, if any, gaskets.

Briefly, a pump according to this invention for removing liquid from a pit or sump comprises a top flange having an opening therein which covers at least a portion of the pit. A pumping chamber is disposed within the pit and comprises enclosing castings or two parallel plates and a curved strip therebetween forming the sidewalls of the pumping chamber. The top plate has an opening therein. Standards depend from the top flange to support the pumping chamber within the pit. An overhung impeller shaft extends downwardly through the openings in the top flange and the top plate. The impeller attached to the shaft is thereby positioned within the pumping chamber. A motor is mounted above the top flange for turning the impeller shaft and impeller. A protection column surrounds the impeller shaft. An annular plate having a cylindrical flange secured to its periphery is adjustably fixed to the bottom of the protection column. The cylindrical flange is substantially coaxial with the protection column. An annular sealing means or a gasket is fixed to the upper parallel plate of the pumping chamber about the opening therein. The gasket slidably engages the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical flange. Means are provided for adjusting the vertical position of the impeller shaft, impeller and protection column whereby the clearance between the bottom of the impeller and the bottom of the pumping chamber may be independently adjusted.

Further features and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a pump according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A--A of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the pump support structure 1 is comprised of a top flange 2, a pump casing 3 and standards 4, spacing the pump casing below the top flange. The top flange may be a metal plate and the standards conventional pipe having flanges at each end. In this way, one or more standards may also serve as a discharge tube 30 or tubes and another may serve as a guide 32 for float control or other pump control parts. The standards may be spaced substantially or apart about the pump shaft 6 as shown in FIG. 3. If only two standards are used, the spacing should be about 180 apart, though three or more standards may be used also. In any case, the standards may have dual functions.

The top flange 2 is arranged to cover at least a portion of the pit from which the liquid is to be removed and has at least one opening 5 therein for passage of the rotary elements of the pump (including the shaft 6 and the impeller 7) and column 45. The top flange may also have openings through which the discharge tube 30 and the guide tube 32 pass or open. The top flange is arranged to support the pump casing within the pit. The length of the standards is such that the pump casing is somewhat below the upper liquid level.

The pump casing is preferably comprised of an upper end plate 11 and a lower end plate 12 parallel thereto. The periphery of the pump chamber preferably comprises one or more curved strips 12 shaped to form one or more volutes having openings 14 (see FIG. 2) therein for the discharge of liquid thrown thereagainst by the rotating action of the impeller 7. One preferred shape of the strips 13 is shown in FIG. 2. The pump casing may be one or more castings.

The upper end plate 11 has an opening 15 for the passage of the impeller and the cylindrical flange 62 described hereafter. A suction tube (extension conduit) 20 may pass through an opening 16 in the lower end plate.

Mounted above the top flange 2 is a bearing housing assembly 40 having thrust bearings 41 therein for rotatably supporting the overhung shaft 6. A motor 43 is mounted above the bearing housing assembly 40 and connected to the shaft by a conventional coupling.

The bearing housing assembly is adjustably secured to the top flange such that the rotary elements may be raised and lowered relative to the top flange and the bottom of the pumping chamber as fully described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,237. In one embodiment, an annular plate 71 covers the opening in the top flange and overlaps the top flange around its periphery. A set of bolts or cap screws 72 are threadably secured to the plate 71 and rests upon the top flange. These bolts are used to adjust the space or distance between the plate 71 and top flange 2. Another set of bolts 73 pass through the plate 71 and are threadably engaged in the top flange 2 for securing the top flange and plate together after the space has been adjusted with the cap screws 72.

A protective tube 45 surrounds the shaft 6 and is fixed at its upper end to the lower side of the bearing housing assembly 40. At the bottom end of the protective tube 45 is a cover 46 for the centrifugal pumping chamber comprising a flange about the end of the protective tube 45. To the bottom of cover 46 is bolted the column bottom guide assembly to be inserted into hole 15. By gasketing between cover 46 and the column bottom guide assembly 60, it is possible to reduce the clearance between the top of the impeller and the pumping chamber upper surface.

The column bottom guide assembly comprises an annular plate 61 and a cylindrical flange 62 secured about the periphery of the flange. The hole in the annular plate 61 is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the impeller shaft. The outside diameter of the cylindrical flange 62 is slightly smaller than the hole in the upper plate 11.

An annular gasket or sealing device 65 with an inside diameter expandably equal to the outside diameter of the cylindrical flange 62 is secured to the top of the upper plate 11 with a clamping ring 64 concentric with the cylindrical flange 62. In another embodiment a circular flange might be mounted to the inside of the periphery of hole 15 and an O-ring provided in a groove about the outside diameter the annular plate 61 at the bottom of the column. This would seal the upper plate 11 and the column 45 permitting axial adjustment.

According to a preferred embodiment, the protective tube 45 has a plurality of spaced openings 48 therein. The clearances between column bottom guide assembly 60 and top face of impeller 7 and between gasket 63 and impeller shaft 6 allow the fluid being pumped to flow up into the space between the shaft 6 and the protection tube 45. The fluid then flows out of the openings 48 in the protection tube. The continuous fluid flow seals the top of the pumping chamber preventing air from entering the impeller.

In addition to the aforementioned means of adjustment, by the invention I have provided means for adjusting the top of the impeller relative to the top of the pump casing. The upper end of the shaft 6 carries a bearing 80 which is preferably press-fit on the shaft. The bearing is seated in a cup 82 of a diameter slighly less than the diameter of the housing 40. The cup has a radial flange 84 which extends above the upper end of the housing. The cup and bearing are retained on the shaft by a lock nut 88 which engages threads 90 on the shaft.

A cap 86 having a radial flange 92 similar to flange 84 is seated on the cup and has a depending flange 94 which engages the bearing. A plurality of bolts 96T and 96C are disposed in holes in the radial flanges about the shaft.

Some of the bolts are tension adjusting bolts 96T and alternately spaced between them are compression adjusting bolts 96C. The tension adjusting bolts pass freely through opposed holes in the flanges 84 and 92 and are threaded into holes 98 in the housing 40. The compression adjusting bolts pass freely through flange 84, are threaded through flange 92 and abut the top wall of the housing 40.

Within the lower part of housing 40, a sleeve 100 is slidably secured to shaft 6 by a locking ring 102 having at least one set screw 104 which engages the shaft. A bearing 106 between the housing and the sleeve stabilizes the shaft against eccentricity. A bushing 108 is also disposed between the sleeve and the housing below the bearing.

Since the cup 82 and cap 86 are fixed relative to the shaft 6, adjustment of the tension and compression adjusting bolts results in vertical adjustment of the shaft. Consequently, the impeller carried by the shaft can be adjusted vertically relative to the top of the pump casing by the adjusting bolts.

Thus, the impeller can be vertically adjusted within the housing by adjusting the clearance between the bottom of the impeller and the bottom of the pumping chamber and between the top of the impeller and the top of the pumping chamber. The adjustments may be made independently from above the pump support either before or after the pump is installed.

Having described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it may otherwise be embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pump for removing liquid from a pit comprising:

means for covering at least a portion of the pit and for providing a base;

a casing defining a pumping chamber for being disposed within the pit; means depending from the covering means for supporting the casing defining a pumping chamber within the pit; an overhung impeller shaft extending downwardly through openings in the covering means and in the top of the pumping chamber;

an impeller attached to said shaft and positionable within the pumping chamber;

a motor mounted above the covering means for turning the impeller shaft and impeller;

a protection column surrounding the impeller shaft and positioned thereabout;

plate means secured to the bottom of the protection column providing an upper wear surface for the impeller; means for sealing the column to the pumping chamber without restricting the vertical movement of the column; and

means for adjusting the vertical position of the impeller shaft and impeller relative to the protection column; and

means for adjusting the position of the protection column relative to the covering means.

2. A pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for adjusting the position of the top of the impeller shaft and impeller relative to the protection column comprises:

a housing assembly including bearing means for journaling the impeller shaft;

means supporting the bearing means and extending over the housing assembly; and

threaded fasteners engageable with the supporting means and the housing assembly for changing the vertical position of the supporting means relative to the housing assembly.

3. A pump for removing liquid from a pit comprising:

a top flange for covering at least a portion of the pit,

said flange having an opening therein;

a casing defining a pumping chamber for being disposed within the pit comprising two parallel plates and a curved strip therebetween for forming the sidewalls of the pumping chamber, said top plate having an opening therein; standards depending from the top flange to support the pumping chamber; an overhung impeller shaft extending downwardly through openings in the top flange and the top plate and an impeller attached to said shaft positionable within the pumping chamber;

a motor mounted above the top flange for turning the impeller shaft and impeller;

a protection column surrounding the impeller shaft;

protection column relative to the top flange.

* I. I I 

1. A pump for removing liquid from a pit comprising: means for covering at least a portion of the pit and for providing a base; a casing defining a pumping chamber for being disposed within the pit; means depending from the covering means for supporting the casing defining a pumping chamber within the pit; an overhung impeller shaft extending downwardly through openings in the covering means and in the top of the pumping chamber; an impeller attached to said shaft and positionable within the pumping chamber; a motor mounted above the covering means for turning the impeller shaft and impeller; a protection column surrounding the impeller shaft and positioned thereabout; plate means secured to the bottom of the protection column providing an upper wear surface for the impeller; means for sealing the column to the pumping chamber without restricting the vertical movement of the column; and means for adjusting the vertical position of the impeller shaft and impeller relative to the protection column; and means for adjusting the position of the protection column relative to the covering means.
 2. A pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for adjusting the position of the top of the impeller shaft and impeller relative to the protection column comprises: a housing assembly including bearing means for journaling the impeller shaft; means supporting the bearing means and extending over the housing assembly; and threaded fasteners engageable with the supporting means and the housing assembly for changing the vertical position of the supporting means relative to the housing assembly.
 3. A pump for removing liquid from a pit comprising: a top flange for covering at least a portion of the pit, said flange having an opening therein; a casing defining a pumping chamber for being disposed within the pit comprising two parallel plates and a curved strip therebetween for forming the sidewalls of the pumping chamber, said top plate having an opening therein; standards depending from the top flange to support the pumping chamber; an overhung impeller shaft extending downwardly through openings in the top flange and the top plate and an impeller attached to said shaft positionable within the pumping chamber; a motor mounted above the top flange for turning the impeller shaft and impeller; a protection column surrounding the impeller shaft; an annular plate having a cylindrical flange secured to its periphery, said plate having a central opening through which the impeller shaft may pass; adjustable means for fixing the annular plate to the bottom of the protection column; annular sealing means fixed to the upper parallel plate of the pumping chamber about the opening therein for slidably engaging the cylindrical flange; and means for adjusting the vertical position of the impeller shaft and impeller relative to the protection column; and means for adjusting the position of the protection column relative to the top flange. 